Writing the perfect job advertising copy or job advert can be a crucial yet daunting task for businesses. It is tough to attract the right person, from an overwhelming talent pool. It can be challenging for companies who rarely write job adverts.
As per some leading Talent & Leadership managers, job advert writing should be considered a collaborative task. It should involve valuable inputs from the right people. It helps in choosing the right words for the advertising copy and in targeting the ideal candidate.
An excellent job advert is one that aligns a candidate’s expectation of the role with the actual reality of the position. Unless the candidate can picture working himself in that role, he may not be clear about his place in your company.
Who Are the Right People for Job Ad Writing?
Experts believe that the job ad writing process should usually involve, the owner, HR head and/or talent acquisition head and the hiring manager. While the hiring manager has hands-on knowledge of the role and required competencies, the talent acquisition specialist can do a great job at writing the ad, given their expertise with candidates and interviews.
Another person who can contribute to the job advert writing process is the previous staff member who has been in that role. No other person has a better and clear understanding of the pros and cons of that role than the person who previously worked in that position.
What are the things to include in a Job Ad?
A job advert may be your most significant chance to differentiate your business from other companies and competitors. Thus, the job ad should be crafted in a way that accurately reflects the culture of your company along with your expectations and challenges. Make sure that the critical requirements for the role are listed along with highlighting benefits of the position as well as the company.
Points to Remember When Writing Job Ads
- Short & Precise – In an era of smartphone users where most candidates may be viewing your advert on their phones, it is advisable to keep your job ad short and to the point.
- Keep It Simple – The purpose of your job ad should be to get your main point conveyed to the candidate on the first go. Thus, avoid using flowery language as that might distract the candidate from the actual requirement of the ad.
- Break Into Headings – Break up your advert with small headings, making it easy for the candidate to navigate through the conditions and be able to decide as to whether or not to apply.
- Only Important Skill sets – Using bullet points for required skill sets helps the candidate quickly evaluate whether or not he/she can meet the requirements of the role. However, instead of including a typical list of all skill sets, use bullet points only on the most essential skill sets for the particular job.
- Self-Explanatory Titles – Create simple & understandable titles for job adverts. Strictly avoid using company jargons and ambiguous words. An ideal job advert title should include the name of the position along with 2-3 essential things that can make the job look attractive for the applicant. The idea should be to convey the requirement of the job ad in a few simple words.
- Define Roles & Responsibilities – Clearly highlight the key responsibilities and expectations associated with the role, so that there is no scope for contradictions at a later stage. List out the key attributes that can ensure the candidate’s eligibility for the said role. Such pointers help the candidate figure whether or not he/she is fit for the position.
- Short Introduction – Add a small emotive opening paragraph about your company, to show company’s experience, retention rate, existing clients, projects, opportunities, awards and accolades that will generate interest for the candidate.
- Rewards of Joining – Include a small paragraph on the cultural benefits of your company, perks, education opportunities, work hours and anything else that you feel can be of interest to the candidate.
- Next Steps – Remember to include details about the application process right until the hiring process, so that candidates have a clear picture of what happens next!
- Quick Recap – If you have a long job advert, it is a good practice to close your advert with a quick bullet-point recap of all the points mentioned above. This way, the candidate has all the critical points in front of mind while hitting the “Apply” button.
When should you Seek Assistance?
Quite often, small businesses do not have the required internal capability and experience to write effective job ads and to recruit the right candidates. At such times, it is advisable to approach an external agency, to seek assistance with an effective strategy and attractions that can convince the candidate to take up the particular role.
While Job ad writing may seem like a simple task, the process indeed requires specialist skill sets and a right amount of experience, to be able to convey the right message to the right candidate.
Small business owners who have previously been unsuccessful in writing effective job ads often tend to seek assistance from professional job ad writers to get the best results. The reason being, small business owners, lack the experience, market knowledge and confidence required to capture the right tone and pitch for an impactful job advert.
Thus, with a well-defined and effective job advert, you are out there to sell the position literally. Include precisely the things a potential candidate would be looking out for in a good job offer. Appeal to the skills and experiences of your likely candidate the same way you would appeal to the needs and wants of a customer, and you are sure to zero down on the right candidate!!
